


To Death Do We Part~

by C_A_T_M



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Not K-Pop Idols, F/M, Grim Reapers, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Minor Character(s), Past Character Death, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Soft Kim Jungwoo (NCT), Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-10-29 15:58:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17811029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/C_A_T_M/pseuds/C_A_T_M
Summary: Changkyun doesn't really go out of his way to get into trouble, it sort of... Happens. But this time? Trouble came in the form of death.





	To Death Do We Part~

Music played loudly in his ears, drowning out all sensible thought and all concerns about the time that was steadily ticking away. If there was anything that put him at peace, it was the thrum of his compositions and the end result of his hard work.

Shifting on his chair, naked arse sticking slightly to the leather, he squirmed and squinted at the screen, unable to find something suitable for the next few chords of his song.

'Damn,' playing around with music was irksome, he would know once he had a whole major attached to it. As he stared hard at the glaringly bright screen, he wondered whether it was with losing multiple brain cells over.

The outside world was drowned out, music fading  abruptly as it reached the end of what he'd managed to put together. He was planning to stay at his desk for the rest of the night, at least until he had the vast majority of it complete.

It wasn't a healthy attitude - as Kihyun had said and reiterated numerous times, but he couldn't help it. It was like an itch in his soul that refused to leave him until he'd done what he had to do.

Changkyun sighed, the sound full of air and a hint of tiredness that had managed to slip past the caffeine in his system. Tragic really how fast his youth was slipping by with his sweaty and bare backside planted firmly on the well used chair.

However, it was during this subtle moment, where it had gone quiet and there was no sound - not even of his breathing - did he realise his phone was ringing, and incessantly so.

Pulling off his headphones with a sudden surge of speed and energy, his heart dropped to his stomach when he saw who was calling: Jooheon.

Shit. He knew exactly why he was calling.

Mustering up the nerve to answer was hard, knowing first hand how much of a demon Jooheon could turn into when he was pissed off. He scrambled upwards, answering the call with on hand and pulling on his tossed aside jeans with the other.

"Hello, hyung?"

"Don't you 'hello hyung me', you bastard! Answer the door, I've been stood out here for five minutes ringing you and your stupid bell. Move!" Jooheon's temper was something he wasn't willing to mess with, instead answering with a meek 'okay' as he applied deodorant and tugged a previously discarded grey hoodie onto his body.

It took him roughly a minute to complete his look, looking more like a broke university student than ever. Quickly spraying on some scent to cover any hint of sweat, he crammed his feet into whatever shoes he found (white vans) and pulled open the door to face an unimpressed looking Jooheon.

"You're an idiot," Was the first thing said to his face, every inch of his willpower used in not rolling his eyes in response. That would have done nothing for no one and he knew that he deserved the dirty look shot his way.

"Yeah yeah," He grumbled, locking the door behind him in a laughable attempt at keeping his 'valuables' safe. The only thing of value in there was his desktop set up.

Jooheon was irritated, and rightfully so, frowning at the younger boy who slouched further and further with every step he took. "You look like the grinch, you need to get out more," Changkyun's mouth opened in protest but was silenced immediately, "I know a music major is hard, but it's not worth turning into a vampire. I can see you fading away into dust."

The dramatics of his hyung was rather amusing he had to admit, but that didn't stop a huff from slipping past his lips. "I'm not a vampire, stop being melodramatic, Hyung."

Shaking his head, Jooheon tutted and took a deep breath of the fresh air that hit them both once they walked out from the stuffy building. "Yoongi-hyung throws the best parties. I hope I get to talk to him properly this time, every time I get an opportunity it's always cut short by something," Jooheon's persistence in befriending the usually reserved man was both admirable and  entertaining. It was always a pleasure to watch Jooheon fumble over his words before he found a stable topic of conversation.

Really, Jooheon was over thinking things too much. Yoongi liked him plenty if his subtle gummy smiles and gently whispered praises were anything to go by. "Kihyun-hyung is close with him, they'll probably be together somewhere."

Jooheon nodded, the soft yellow lighting of the street lights hitting his face and illuminating his features; the bridge of his nose and the high points of his cheeks showered in the golden hue.

Taking the time outside his flat to relax, his shoulders sagged as the weight on them began to fade away, feeling much more positive about going to the party that he had been minutes before while flying out of his front door.

Maybe it was true that the party had slipped away in the deep recesses of his mind, but he was happy with the invitation and over the moon at the prospect of socialising with his friends - Though he really could have done without the neet jokes that they all liked to repeat every time he left his apartment building.

In all honesty, the only reason he has even accepted the invite in the first place was because he was beginning to feel like a ghost, the feeling of being a living corpse worryingly prevalent. And he didn't like that, no, not one bit.

Bass thrummed through the pavement, vibrating the loose pebbles and making the earth hum under its deep vibrations. Luckily for them, Yoongi didn't live too far away and they could already see the house coming into view.

"Are you going to do anything? Or will you go home by yourself?" Though it wasn't outright said, Changkyun knew what he was implicitly asking: would he bring someone home?

Only shrugging, he brushed off the question with a grunt. "More than likely I'll go home by myself," Jooheon smiled, dimples deep and eyes nearly closed as he patted Changkyun on the back.

"You do you."

Within two steps into the house, Jooheon had already broken away from him and was walking towards the dance major, Hoseok, eager to start a conversation. As a consequence, he was left alone amidst the mingling people, faces whom he'd seen in passing once or twice.

Not quite feeling up for a chat with someone random so early on, he decided to head into the kitchen and get himself a drink. It never hurt anyone to have a sip once in a while.

The concoction within the punch bowl was red in colour, the pungent scent of alcohol and summer fruits mixing together in a way that shouldn't have been as enticing as it was.

Filling up a plastic cup, he leant against the counter and watched with interest at the people milling around. It was always entertaining to see the kinds of people who turned up at them.

The first person he spotted was Johnny, the tall man laughing in conversation with Wonho, his smile large and genuine as he spoke. His gaze averted and he saw Taeyong speaking to Byeongkwan, a new transfer student who has come under an 'A.C.E' scholarship.

His eyes flickered over the crowd, sighing into his cup as people chattered but not one soul came to talk to him. He wasn't sure if he was disappointed or relieved.

Pushing away from the counter, Changkyun decided that if he wanted to mingle, he would have to be proactive about it. No one was going to come and spoon feed him.

The sip he took of the drink burned a path down his body, a vague sensation of wanting to cough tickling the back of his throat; so he did. A harsh cough later, he was stood in the living room with watery eyes and ignored by people.

Well, apart from one. "Wow, are you okay? Yoongi-ssi's drinks are really strong," the last person he expected to see was the cherub faced Jungwoo, his cheeks flushed a healthy pink with a soft, bunny-like smile playing on his lips.

"Yeah, they are," Unable to resist the younger man's infectious smile, he caught himself grinning back. "You don't normally come to parties, what's the special occasion?"

It was true, Jungwoo was much like him in the fact that he never showed up to such functions unless there was a reason. Sometimes it was an elaborate one, or a simple 'I felt like it.'

Jungwoo shrugged, his drink sloshing in his cup from the action. "Nothing much, I felt like I needed a break from sitting in my room all day," a sheepish grin broke out onto his lips, "plus Kun kicked me out for the night because he has an essay coming up."

Sniggering lightly, he decided to console the poor boy despite how funny he found Kun kicking him out to be. "I was pulled out of my home by Jooheon-hyung too. Word of advise, never make him angry."

A soft giggle slipped past the tip of his tongue, his head shaking in disbelief at the older man. "Jooheon-ssi doesn't look very aggressive."

Yeah, that's what everyone thought. You know what they say, the nicest people were the ones who were the darkest. "It's his dimples, they trick you."

Nodding, Jungwoo suddenly glanced behind him with wide eyes, Changkyun turning around to try and spot what had made his eyes so large. There was nothing there apart from a few people who were messily dancing with each other.

"O-oh. Sorry, I should go. It was nice talking to you," before he could even get out a reply, Jungwoo had fled, tossing his drink into the bin and scurrying away with speeds he didn't know the lanky man could achieve.

It would have been a lie to say that he wasn't a little weirded out by Jungwoo's abrupt disappearance, plus it wasn't as though he had drank all that much, more than half his cup still full of the alcoholic drink.

Whatever, he thought, it wasn't his business anyway.

Since he had nothing better to do, he began heading in the direction of whatever Jungwoo had seen, deciding that he might as well look around a little further.

Only when he got closer however, did he notice that it was Hyungwon sat on the couch by himself, pressing circling the rim of his cup with a perfectly manicured finger that he was low key jealous of.

But that wasn't what stopped him in his tracks, nor was it what had caused his heart to freeze and his breath to stick in his throat. No, it wasn't Hyungwon but the being _behind_ Hyungwon.

The 'Reaper'.

Hovering over his hyung in a black cloak decorated with fine swirl and patterns, their terrifying scythe on their back with the sharp, curved blade towering over their hooded head. The figure he'd seen all throughout his life, from when he was a little kid who's biggest worry was his lunch to him now, in his twenties composing music in his small flat.  

Grim Reaper, harbinger of death, the gatekeeper of life. Whatever name was made up for them would never match with the intensity that pulsed through the air whenever he saw them.

However, he was smart enough to know that whenever one appeared, (and it always seemed to be the same one too) death would follow soon after. It never ended any other way, especially when a person was being tailgated.

Ice cold blood pumped through his body, heart stammering and spluttering as he willed his legs to move. Hyungwon couldn't be dying, he had the entire world to see and experience. It wasn't fair for him to be dead, he never wanted to go to his own friend's fucking funeral so young.

All his life he had avoided the beings that brought chill up his spine, ignored the whispers in his mind that begged him to talk to them and be informed of why he could see them, but now he had no choice. If he wanted Hyungwon to live, he would have to go head to head with one.

"Hello, Hyung," he greeted nonchalantly like he wasn't seconds away from pissing himself, "I wasn't expecting to see you here."

Hyungwon smiled, thick lips pulling into a delicate grin as he shuffled aside, making room for Changkyun to sit down in. "I wasn't sure if I should come, Hoseok convinced me in the end," Hoseok did have a way of persuading people to do things, perhaps it was his charming heart smile or infectious enthusiasm.

Though he was conversing with the man in front of him, his gaze kept wondering towards the looking figure stood behind the sofa, almost demanding his attention despite not having moved a muscle since he'd noticed them.

Hyungwon left the couch after five or so minutes of talking, saying he needed some fresh air and that the smell of BO was getting to him. Naturally, the clothed figure followed behind him, staying a step of two behind while hovering.

Surprisingly the house was still neat and tidy, only a plant knocked down in the front garden but it was soon picked up and put back in its proper place by Moonbyul.

Trailing a few metres behind Hyungwon at all times was exhausting, having to constantly start conversations as to not seem like a creep who was following his friend around.

"Changkyun, have you seen Jungwoo anywhere? I saw him talking to you but I haven't seen him since," Doyoung spoke, waving him down before jogging over.

"Jungwoo left actually. He was sober but something spooked him," The ravenette frowned, thanking him anyway before bowing briefly and wishing him a good night, leaving towards the front door like many others had slowly began to do.

The clock struck 11 and the party was officially ending, people heading out with cups being thrown in the bins and alcohol being cleared away. Jooheon was nowhere to be found and Changkyun assumed from the single wink emoji that was texted to him, that he'd found someone to go home with.

Hyungwon laughed brightly with Shownu, the sound reaching his ears as he rushed over. There was no way he was leaving without him tonight, not until he found answers.

"Hyung, wait please," rushing quickly to his side, he ignored Hyungwon's slightly bewildered glance and instead made himself comfortable next to him, "can I go with you? I don't feel too good."

The lanky male blinded once, twice and a third time, "are you sure? You live closer here anyway. It would be easier to drop you off home," out of the corner of his eye, he could see the reaper standing and he shook his head.

"No, I don't think being alone is the best right now," the words 'for you and me' nearly slipped past his lips but he'd clamped them shut just in time, offering a tight lipped and slightly wonky smile.

Perhaps his slightly odd smile had helped convince Hyungwon because seconds later, he was nodding, a hand placed on Changkyun's back as he ushered him out of the house. "Oh, okay. You can come with me."

Glancing behind and getting an eyeful of black, he exhaled, "thank you."

It wasn't going to be easy to act normal, yet it was the only chance he had at making sure Hyungwon didn't die so soon. Either he suck it up or cower away.

He planned to do the former.

* * *

 

The cab ride to his place had Changkyun's nerve alight the entire way, jumping and flicking at every bump in the road - praying hard that he wouldn't succumb to an early death too. Only when he finally touched the ground again did his pulse slow down.

"You look a little pale, Kyun. Do you want some water?" Hyungwon offered, unlocking the door to his modest apartment and letting him walk in first.

"It's okay, I'll get it myself," He nodded, not too bothered considering Changkyun had come over plenty of times before. "You should go to sleep, Hyung." Hyungwon looked half ready to pass out, his eyes drooping and his movements not as graceful as usual.

"Yeah, I will. Do you want any clothes?" Upon shaking his head, Hyungwon mumbled a good night and went into his room, gesturing vaguely to the guest bedroom for Changkyun as he left.

He sighed, a heavy weight on his chest as he headed into the kitchen, turning on the light as he poured himself a glass of water. The sound of running water was the only clear sound, his breathing barely heard as he drank the entire glass in four gulps. The sound he let out wasn't pretty either, a loud and rather embarrassing 'ahh' slipping past him.

Then, when he was finished washing and he had turned around to place the glass onto the sink top, he noticed that the reaper was also there.

Nearly yelling from fright, he barely managed to conceal it as a cough. That was odd, wasn't the reaper supposed to follow Hyungwon into his room?

But if the Reaper wasn't in the same room as him, did that mean Hyungwon wasn't going to die tonight? Questions swirled in his mind and only one person had the answers to them.

Steeling his nerves, he swallowed thickly. "Hello?" He called out, waiting for some kind of reaction.

Nothing happened, they floated there as though he hadn't said a word. Changkyun blinked, rubbing his eyes to make sure he was seeing correctly. They were definitely there, so why weren't they saying anything?

"Hello? Can you hear me?" He tried again, this time with a tad more aggression within his tone.

They didn't even flinch, the subtle rippling of their cloak pissing him off more than he would have liked. "I'm talking to you!"

Finally there was a reaction, albeit a mocking one that made him frown.

"Me?" They spoke, a feminine sounding lilt to their voice as they pointed a finger to themselves, tone unemotional yet still poking fun at him.

"Yes, you. You can hear me, right?" Head turning towards him, he felt his entire body shut down as he cursed himself for acting as though he wasn't scared out of his mind. He had no clue what she was capable of; he didn't really want to find out either.

A silence fell over the kitchen, her gloved fingers curling around the handle of her scythe. "I hear you, your voice is rather deep and hard to miss," before he could a single emotion towards the statement, she carried on, "You are a Seer?"

Seer? What the hell was that?

"You do not know what a Seer is, do you?" Her question was cold, spoken with a monotonous tone and no care or concern.

"No," he breathed with a shake of his head, "I don't."

Her hand left the scythe, eyes following the movement and a soft sigh of relief releasing itself. "A Seer is a person on the border of life and nothing, whom is alive but a breath away from death." The riddles being spoken made his head spin, lips forming a frown as he stared at the supernatural being.

"Huh? You know what, forget that. Why are you following Hyung?" Deep within him, he knew the answer but didn't want to face the truth. Knowing the truth meant devastation. No matter how much he said he was ready to hear it, he wasn't.

The Reaper knew this, yet still answered.

"He will die soon."

Sucking in air through his teeth, his eyes shone under the light of the bright kitchen lights, expression set in stone and hands tightened into fists. "Can't you stop it?" He nearly hissed.

"I cannot stop destiny," It bothered him immensely how uncaring she was, their words curt and tinged with inhumane indifference.

He swore he could have dropped dead in front of her right now and she wouldn't have cared less.

"Fuck destiny!" His outburst shocked even him yet they were unmoving, unblinking. "Can I stop it?"

"You can, however only if you figure out how he will die," She shifted forward a single step, his body moving backwards out of instinct, "he will not die tonight."

Swallowing, he narrowed his eyes out of suspicion. "How can I trust you?"

Her head remained forward, hood shrouding her visage, her humanity, as she took three steps, before passing straight through him like he was nothing more than air. A dark and sudden chill raced through his entire body, leaving no nerve untouched and freezing him down to the bone. "You can't."

Answers were fleeting, her figure leaving the kitchen and leaving him alone to reflect.

God, how the hell was he going to deal with this?

Sleep normally never came easily to him, yet this time it seemed as though the sandman has skipped past him entirely - his eyes holding large bags and his posture was atrocious. He looked more like death than the bringer of death that remained behind Hyungwon.

Despite all odds, her word had been honest and Hyungwon did not die during the night. He blinked slowly, trailing out of the room sluggishly and finding Hyungwon dressed to the nines, his hair swept to the side and his person nearly dressed with a complimentary trench coat draped over his shoulders.

Instant panic washed over him, system shocked awake as he straightened up. "Hyung, where are you going?" His voice rose higher than he had intended it to, earning a subtle brow raise from Hyungwon.

"I'm going to work. Are you feeling better? You don't look it," gaze flickering to the Reaper behind, he swore she was grinning devilishly at him from under the shadow of the hood.  

"I'm okay, will you be?" Hyungwon nodded, flashing a charming smile before sashaying over towards his bathroom, murmuring something about his scent running out too quickly.

With Hyungwon out of the way, onyx hues pierced through the defense of the black cloak, staring her down.

"You're annoying," He had no idea where the sudden bout of confidence had sprouted from, but even so, there was something that told him that she wasn't going to harm him.

If that was her intention, she would have done it yesterday when he was powerless and without a single defense. Right now he had his keys on him, he could do some damage with them if he wanted to (nevermind the fact that he would have flown straight through her).

"I am not here for entertainment purposes. We cannot all be here for foolish reasons," The blank delivery was something he was really coming to despise, his own snappy comebacks failing his whenever her mouth opened.

Changkyun shrugged, stifling a yawn. "You would be the comedy relief villain," he imagined that if he could see her face, she would have had a brow lifted up. And maybe, if he was pushing it, and amused smirk on her lips.

"Careful. I wouldn't get too snippy with my responses," Choosing to ignore the comment, he rolled his shoulders and walked closer.

"Do you always have to follow Hyung? Or can you leave?"

"Where I am stationed makes no difference towards the end result."

Throwing a quick glance towards the bathroom door, he stared into her eyes (where he assumed her eyes would be anyway) and forced himself to blurt out his next words. "Then come with me?"

It was really annoying how stoic she was, barely a muscle twitching.

"Then come with me?"

"Me leaving my position does not change the fate of your friend," In spite of this information, he still hummed, reiterating his earlier question with his breath held after.

She was quiet, cloak brushing against the floor as she hovered a few inches taller than him. "Okay. I shall leave with you."

And for the first time since he'd seen her, he smiled. "Thank you."

* * *

 

"Do you always have to float? Can you walk" He grunted, hands stuffed into his pockets and his hood pulled up as he watched her hover over him, the ground disconnected from her feet. What was worse was the fact that she didn't have a shadow.

"You are very easily irritable," She planted herself on the ground and seemed to walk alongside him, "but yes, I can walk."

More silence followed, his heart beating faster than it normally would as a result of being in her presence. She'd proven herself to be harmless enough, but his natural instincts still screamed at him. "Can you tell me more about being a Seer?"

Despite her not being his most preferred method of information gathering, she was his only option and he had to be willing to get whatever he could. No good would come out of standing around and doing nothing.

The natural chill that radiated off her body made him shiver, his hoodie pulled closed to his chest as he shoved his hands inside his pockets. "It is inherited and stays within the bloodline. It can skip as many as 7 generations before resurfacing," to her credit, she was to the point and informative.

Maybe she wasn't as bad as his subconscious was whispering to him. Maybe a little blank with a scary looking scythe situated on her back, but her actions and manners were mild and non-threatening; a direct juxtaposition.

"What does it mean?" No one else was around to see him talking to thin air but the earphones were a precaution anyway, hues flickering to her briefly.

"It means you are more susceptible to the feelings and thoughts of the dead and the living. You are able to feel them within you as strongly as you feel yourself," she explained, head turning to his as he hummed in acknowledgement.

Thankfully, the longer that he was with her, the less adrenaline pumped through his body and the less his limbs stopped screaming to activate his fight or flight instinct.

Actually, he found her to be rather… funny. In her own, morbid way.

"I can talk with ghosts?"

"If by ghosts you mean spirits left on earth, no. They cannot communicate verbally but their emotions are accessible to you," Nodding at her words, he unlocked his front door and walked in, the coolness of his home hitting him as soon as he walked in.

Waiting for her to walk in, he closed the door behind her and stretched, joints cracking and aching like he was 100 instead of 22. "Were you the one who shadowed my grandmother?"

"Yes."

"Can I see your face?" He knew he shouldn't have said it as unprompted as he did, but he couldn't help his mouth from running faster than his brain. It was with bated breath that he waited for a response, fingers curled into the fabric of his thick grey hoodie with anticipation.

Ever so slowly, her hand lifted towards her hood, gloved digits thumbing over the silky looking material of her attire, the fabric caught between her index finger and thumb. Only his subtle breathing was audible, the shadow on her face lightening with each second that passed until the hood was off completely.

'Holy shit…' He thought, eyes wide as hers fluttered open, the ghostly white of her irises startling him greatly as she blinked, gaze zeroing in on him and his agape jaw.

By no means was she ugly, her features sharp and defined yet still holding softness that transcended mortals. The faint glow that exuded from her skin was brilliant, covering her in a sort of delirious haze and further removing any fear he had towards her.

Someone so beautiful was also the one doing the dirtiest work.

"Is something the matter?" Her question made him blink, his head shaking instantly as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"No," Changkyun hummed, "I was just wondering what you were."

"Isn't it obvious?" She asked, head tilt, "I am a what they call a 'Grim Reaper'. And besides, shouldn't you be more concerned for your friend?" Tone bleak, his teeth gritted and he was left unknown - something very frequent around her.

Fishing out his phone from his pocket, he pulled up Hyungwon's contact and began to call the number, watching as it rang with anxiety spiking.

"Is he in danger?"

"Right now? No."

"Are you lying?"

"Do you think I am?"

"Yes."

"Then maybe I am."

Pulling a sour face at her, his call was picked up on the third ring, a tired sounding Hyungwon on the other end muttering a soft 'hello.'

"Hyung, where are you?" If he sounded like a clingy friend, Hyungwon didn't comment on it - opting to grunt down the receiver.

"At work, walking there actually. I've stopped in the corner shop, do you want something?" Considering he hadn't eaten breakfast and the only thing in his house was instant ramen and cereal, his only choice was to say yes.

Feeling rather sheepish but also glad for the excuse to check up on Hyungwon, he said yes. "Can you bring me some rice? And soy sauce?"

"Okay, I'll bring that over when I'm finished with work. Have a good day, Kyun."

"You too," the ending tone hung quickly in the air, onyx embers burning into white with a similar emotion to anger but not quite there. "Why won't you just tell me? Why do you have to be difficult?"

"Because," she stated simply, "it is not my place. It is the Seer's or the higher ups that deal with it. I merely separate the soul from that body, I have nothing to do with anything else."

Okay. If she couldn't help him, then he would talk to one of these other Seer's or even the higher ups. Hyungwon deserved to live a long a fulfilled life, not cut short because of something out of his control. "What do you mean Seer? You said I could see you, why would that mean I can stop Hyung's death?"

A hand ran through her hair, almost looking exasperated if not for her completely still visage that yielded not even for a smile of reassurance. "Seer's have different abilities. Some can see Reapers, some can see the cause of death, others can see the time of death. Again, this is genetic and passed down."

"Do you know any?" When her head shook, he could have yelled. It wasn't her fault, he had enough brain cells left to know that. Still, was it so bad to be mad that she knew virtually nothing?

"I do not know of Seers until I have seen and confirmed them. Every one of you can sense a Reaper's presence, as the temperature drops and death like chill covers you. Most mistake this as a spirit passing through, more than likely it's a Reaper. Maybe you know of one?"

He thought hard for one second, thoughts racing a million miles a minute as he tried to figure out if anyone has acted weird, or even seemed a little still whenever she was around. From what it looked like, anyone that wasn't a Seer (the others at the party) were unaffected by her presence and didn't take any notice.

The hard part was finding out who did have a reaction.

Minutes passed as he situated through memories before he had an epiphany. There was one person that _had_ acted strangely, and _had_ shown signs of being affected. Now that he had a name in his mind, he felt rather stupid for not connecting the dots earlier.

Licking his dry lips, Changkyun nodded with the three syllables on the tip of his tongue. "I do know a Seer-" a glint of curiosity crossed the whiteness of her eyes.

"His name is Kim Jungwoo."

* * *

 

For once he was glad that he didn't live in the dorms provided, seeing people scurrying out of them left and right gave him a monster headache. He only had one thing to attend today, a lecture where he just needed to take notes.

"We are here for Kim Jungwoo?" Nodding, he continued to try and get onto his tiptoes and scan over the crowd for the ever evasive young man. For someone so tall and striking, Jungwoo was stupidly hard to find.

Changkyun was certain that Jungwoo had a class today, though he wasn't quite sure what the boy's major was. It had been a lengthy process to try and get that information, going through four different people before acquiring the knowledge needed to track him down.

In all honesty, he didn't even know if Jungwoo would be outside campus right now, considering the fact that the boy usually left early to reach them - a fact told to him by Kihyun, who was told by Yoongi, who was told by Jeongguk, who was told by -

"What does he look like?" Her question startled him, blinking owlishly as she hovered above his head.

Why hadn't he thought of that…

In an attempt to mask his embarrassment, he huffed, shaking his head. "Shouldn't you know?"

"Unfortunately, I am not omnipotent," There was the reaction he'd been waiting for, as tasteless and boring as ever yet still endlessly funny.

"Well," he started, thinking about to when he'd last seen Jungwoo, "he's very tall and has orange coloured hair. He has big eyes and a bunny like smile, did I mention he's very tall?"

"No, I don't think you have," Smiling  at her comment, he continued to balance on his tip toes, "is that him? He wearing rather large clothing, and considering he is tall, that is impressive."

Following the direction of her head, he realised that she had managed to spot him in around an eighth of the time it be taken him to. He would blame it on her height advantage.

Jungwoo was huddled between two other people, Doyoung and another tall person that Changkyun had to admire was very good looking, with his soft eyes and smiley features.

Nevermind that!

"Let's go," Normally he never liked to do anything beyond a simple job, but he this time he was running, capturing the attention of Doyoung who gave him a quick grin and waved him over.

"Careful, you don't want to seem to eager," Not even bothering to click his tongue, he stopped just in front of his surprised junior - though the surprise soon turned into unadulterated joy and welcoming.

The boy was nothing if not gracious.

"Hello!"

Time ticked by and he had to get organised quickly, he had to check up in Hyungwon and make sure he wasn't dead yet. "Hi, um Jungwoo, do you think you could meet me later, at the diner down the road around lunch time?"

If judging by the sudden dropping of his smile and the creases between Jungwoo's brows, that hadn't been what the boy was expecting. The music major felt rather bad actually for being the cause of that expression.

"Anything for you! I'll meet you soon, okay?" He was so fucking lucky that Jungwoo was the nicest person to ever walk the earth.

"Okay, thank you. Get to class safely," Ignoring Doyoung and the other boy's slightly bewildered looks at the unorthodox invitation, he had much more pressing matters to think about.

Like what he would order at the diner; he could never decide between the damned meatball sandwich or the cheese rolls.

* * *

 

And hour and a half later, he was firmly seated in one of the booths, scrolling through his phone with her standing to his left despite his insistence. She said she liked standing more and he hadn't thought energy to argue.

"Looking through your phone will not make Jungwoo materialise any faster," nailing her with a harsh side glance, he huffed and shoved his phone into his pocket.

"Well what do you want me to do? It's not like he's here to entertain me," His snappy comeback had only been meant for her to hear, but when a softer, more masculine voice had responded instead, his nearly jumped.

"I'm sorry if I'm late, Lucas needed some help on his assignment," Jungwoo's smile was as brilliant as it was pure, instantly lighting up the drab atmosphere. If there was anything that made her cheek muscles twitch, it was Jungwoo.

Breathing out a soft, 'it's fine', he watched the orange haired boy slide into his seat and sit with terrible posture. For a split second he wondered how Jungwoo managed to grow so tall when he was bent over like a squashed loaf of bread.

The waitress came over upon seeing that someone else had joined Changkyun in his (supposed) lonesome, taking their quick orders of a cheese sandwich and a vanilla milkshake.

"What would you like to talk about, Changkyun-ssi?" Fiddling with the end of his sleeve, does eyes looked into his own. Yet he swore that they drifted to his left for half a second before returning.

Right now he was praying, either he was right and Jungwoo was a Seer like he had assumed, or he would seem like a complete nutter in front of the poor boy and he would be forced into hiding. Only the former was really preferable.

He gulped, stealing a look towards her as she remained as indifferent as always, though now focused solely on Jungwoo.

"Are you a Seer?" Deciding to go straight onto business, he didn't bother beating around the bush. Hyungwon might die any second and the last thing he needed to do was stall.

Brown eyes flashed with shock, subsequently widening as his fingers stopped messing around with a loose string in favour of gawking with an opened mouth. Hardly noticing that his food had been put down in front of him, his lips mouthed the words from Changkyun and he leaned forward like he was about to whisper something.

"You know?"

A nod.

He leaned back into his seat, hand running through his hair quickly as he licked his lips, making sense of the situation thrust upon him. "How did you know? That I was one?"

"At the party, you looked in the direction of a Hyung and ran. No one else in that area looked affected, only you," Knowing he'd been caught out, his lips formed a guilty simper, taking a long drag of his milkshake after. "I wanted to know what you saw."

"I-i don't kno-"

"Please!" He practically begged, ready to go on his hands and knees, "Hyung is dying and I don't know what to do. I don't even know when!"

Emotions flickered across Jungwoo's face at rapid speeds: Sadness, pity, horror and finally, resignation. "I saw Hyungwon-ssi's death date and I just, I couldn't stay," he trailed off, "how do you know that he's dying?"

"I can see the Reaper," At the mention of her, she moved forward, pausing for a split second before passing through Jungwoo's body to get to the other side of him and sit down. His entire body shook at the contact, goosebumps littering his skin and the hair on his neck rose, a breathless gasp escaping him.

"They're with you?" A mix of ludicrously and awe filled Jungwoo, head turning to the empty space beside him that radiated power and dominance. "It's nice to meet to meet you."

Instead of ignoring him like he'd thought she would, her hand touched the top of Jungwoo's and the cold seeped through him. Removing her hand a few seconds later, she rested against the back of the seat and jerked her head towards Jungwoo - urging Changkyun to speak.

"She said she thinks you're cute," Struggling to hide the peals of laughter climbing up his chest, he looked away from her and instead at the beaming boy.

"O-oh? That's really nice of her," he twisted once more towards the space beside him, "thank you!"

Her monotonous look was to be expected, though somehow it managed to look even more dull as she stared straight through him, nodding.

"Ask him what the date falls on," This was what he was dreading, the thing that made this entire thing a cold, harsh reality.

Cold sweat beaded on his back, he barely had the appetite to stomach even a shred of cheese from the sandwich. "Jungwoo, what was the date?"

An uncomfortable silence fell, his eyes following as they trained themselves on the grey and red table where his plate of uninviting food lay.

A quiet inhale of breath echoed in the noiseless diner, hands clenching under the table.

"October 27, 6:23pm."

Tomorrow.

* * *

 

There was no way he could sleep, not with everything that was occupying his mind and forcing his eyes into staying wide open and alert. In a few hours he would have one chance to save Hyungwon and it depends solely on _him_ and how fast he reacted.

How could anyone expect him to function with some much pressure on him? It was literally a matter of life or death.

A white ceiling muted by the lack of light was the only thing he'd seen for the past twenty minutes, the sheets sticking to his skin uncomfortably as the heat became unbearable. Or perhaps he was just irritable and sensitive.

Huffing, he threw off the duvet and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, bare legs exposed to the cool air and making him shiver. "Damn it," he hissed.

Light from the hallway flooded through a crack in the door, his hand reaching for the door knob to open it further before stepping into the hallway.

She was still here, she never strayed from the living room whenever he 'went to sleep'.

Standing in the doorway to the living room, he quietly observed as she ran her fingers across her scythe, hand pressed against the sharp blade. Yet no matter how hard she pressed, her skin never split nor cut.

"You cannot sleep?" Words of question cut through the quiet, the ticking of the clock punctuating the otherwise dismal nothingness.

He shook his head. "No."

"That is to be expected," No elaboration but he knew exactly what she was talking about. He wished he didn't.

Heart weighing heavy in his chest, he sat on the sofa, legs drawn up to his chin as he rested his head on his knees. Cold nipped at his bare body, lower half covered only by his boxers, however all feelings of discomfort was washed away as soon as she made eye contact.

"Do you stay?"

Syllables faded into nothing, white irises as unreadable as the day he'd first seen them.

"No. There is no reason to stay, my job is over as soon as soul is reaped," Nodding, he glanced over his surroundings; eyes roaming over the familiar untidy mess of items strewn around that at the same time, seemed so foreign and insignificant to the enigma in room.

Despite having been basically attached at that hip for over two days, he knew as much as he did in the beginning about her.

Nothing.

Why did grim readers exist? How did you become a grim reaper? Why did they take souls? Couldn't they stop someone's death?

All these questions, plus the possibility of Hyungwon's nearing end, was enough to drive him to his wits end.

"Were you ever…" Words failing him, he swallowed thickly and tried again, "were you ever human?"

"Yes." Was the brief reply given.

"Do you miss it?" He was stepping on uncharted territory and he had to be careful that he didn't hit a landmine.

She didn't miss a beat in spite of the almost nostalgic gleam in her eyes. "I don't know. I can't miss what I never felt for. I know of my past life and everything that has happened throughout it, but I don't feel anything."

'Oh,' he thought, 'how depressing.'

As if sensing his thoughts, she continued to speak. "I've see my past and I've see the world progress, it is much better than when I was on the earth. If I could feel anything, it would be pride. Perhaps taking my own life wasn't the smartest thing I have ever done, but from it I have seen much more than I would have done otherwise."

And so the answer to his second question was answered. You became one by losing all hope.

The silence persisted until he stood up, determined.

"Tomorrow you won't reap anything," Determination blazed in Changkyun's eyes, a fire lit within their exuberant depths.

"I won't?"

"You won't." And that was a promise he intended to keep.

* * *

 

Time was ticking and his nerves were shot, eyes traveling incessantly towards his phone as he ran down the pavement, pushing past people as he ran towards Hyungwon's home.

6:10, 13 minutes to go.

Phone held tightly in his hands, he cursed loudly as it continued to ring, Hyungwon not picking up despite the numerous calls.

"Pick up, pick up, pick up!"

On the supposedly millionth ring, he finally picked up.

"What is it? Why have you left me 20 missed calls?"

"Because you won't pick up! Where are you?" Basically shouting into the receiver, he gave no fucks towards Hyungwon's hearing.

"I'm at my house, what's w-"

"Good, don't leave," Ending the call abruptly, he shoved his phone into his pocket and spared a glance at the Reaper floating alongside him, walking straight through people without a care in the world.

If he carried on running, it would take him five minutes to get there, making it 6:15. That left only 8 minutes before Hyungwon's death.

His legs and lungs burnt from the overexertion since he never really went out of his way to work out - something he was regretting now.

People were giving him dirty looks, some even yelling as he ran past. He paid them no mind and instead powered through, wind whipping his hair and bringing tears to his eyes.

Sure enough, within five minutes he was panting outside Hyungwon's door, barely mustering the energy to knock on the door. Thankfully it opens within the first few seconds of knocking, revealing the messy haired elder.

"What are you doing? Why do you look like you ran all the way here?" Holding up a single finger, he inhaled deeply and stood up straight.

"That's because I did," Checking his watch, he blanched at the 6:18 on the screen. Did he really spend 3 minutes trying to breathe.

"Okay… But why?" Hyungwon didn't look particularly amused and Changkyun wondered whether Jungwoo had been telling the truth, how was he going to go from breathing to dead in a matter of 5 minutes?

"That's um, classified," Hyungwon barely resisted rolling his eyes, putting on his shoes and pulling out a long trench coat, looking instantly like a model and making Changkyun look like an idiot.

"Alright, then you can come to the shop with me and I'll crack the code," He nodded, as long as he was with Hyungwon, he could stop whatever was going to happen, with 119 on speed dial, he was ready.

Well, that's what he told himself anyway.

The entire way to the shop, he was on edge, looking around from any threats and just generally being very jittery despite his best efforts not to be.

It wasn't until Changkyun had yelped at a pigeon flapping its wings, did Hyungwon stop and stare at him, confusion and also annoyance clear in his eyes.

"Okay, this is enough. Changkyun, tell me what's going on. You're being really weird, you have been for the past few days, are you okay? You know, Kihyun can h-" Tuning out whatever Hyungwon was talking about, he realised with horror what time it was.

6:23pm and he knew exactly what the cause of Hyungwon's death was going to be.

A bus had gone off track, swerving off course because of a little kid that had run onto the road and was heading straight for Hyungwon.

With the few seconds he had before impact, the world slowed down and he acted on instinct. His hands pressed against Hyungwon's chest with enough force to send him flying back and stumbling onto the floor, far away from the bus.

But in his haste, he did one thing; moved directly into the spot that Hyungwon had previously stood in.

The last few things he saw and heard before he blacked out were the screams of terrified onlookers, Hyungwon's yell and wide eyes and finally, the haunting white gaze of the reaper as the scythe was lifted above her head, prepared to swing.

* * *

 

For a few moments he felt nothing, the weightlessness overcoming his senses as a feeling of peace washed over him. If this was what death felt like, he couldn't say it was a bad thing.

But obviously with his luck, he felt a surge of pain all at once, the breath (?) knocked straight out of him and his eyes opened, vision blurry and hazy. Colours meshed together into a watercolour painting, his hearing gasps rattling in his chest.

"You are awake," He recognised that voice, hands rubbing his bleary eyes to correct his sight as fast as he could.

There, stood at the end of his bed like the looming figure they were, was the Grim Reaper.

His lips were dry, his tongue swiping over his chapped maws. "Am I going to die?"

"Do you think you will?"

The door opened abruptly, not allowing him to answer as Jungwoo hurtled in, eyes red and nose pink, his face and absolute mess as he wiped away the wetness on his cheeks.

"You're up! Oh god, I thought you were de-" A deathly chill enveloped him as he stepped through her by accident, his words catching in his throat and reducing noticeably in volume, "a-are you going to die?"

Brown met white, a slow shake of her head was his answer.

There were no words to describe the relief that crossed him, filling everything corner of his body as he beamed and shook his head. No, he was not going to die.

Jungwoo burst into happy tears, the sensitive boy sniffling and bowing to the thin air that possessed the cold, thank you's and grateful words spilling past his lips.

However, she took no notice of him, instead continuing to watch Changkyun.

"You were wrong. I did reap someone's soul," His lips parted to form the question, "the driver's, he died of a heart attack. And with his soul, my job is done."

Remaining silent, his head bowed in respect, peering through his lashes to see her pull her hood back up, the shadow falling back over her and obscuring her features.

He was lucky he caught it really, the hardest hints of a smile that played on her lips because a split second later, she was gone.

Where she once stood at the foot of his bed, nothing remained except the dispersing chill and a promise to meet again one day.


End file.
